Image source, Getty Images

That's all from Holyrood Live on Thursday 2 May 2019.

Nicola Sturgeon has signalled she could ditch plans to cut air departure tax.

The Scottish government has promised to legislate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2045.

Nicola Sturgeon was challenged on proposals for a devolved air departure tax - which would be 50% lower than the current air passenger duty.

Alison Johnstone and Richard Leonard both called on the first minister to scrap the plans.

Ms Sturgeon said the government would have to review every policy in order to meet the new climate change targets.

"Setting targets is one thing, having the policy programme in place to meet them is what matters," she added.

Image source, Getty Images/Science Photo Library

MSPs vote unanimously to pass the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Bill, external.

Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton praises the health secretary for achieving consensus over this bill by working with other parties between Stages 2 and 3.

This bill recognises the multi-disciplinary focus needed following the integration of health and social care, he says.

The Lib Dem suggests giving senior staff the time and place to get a real strategic overview of wards is one of the most important changes enacted through this bill.

Health and care staff do so much for us and it is about time we start doing something for them, he concludes.

Image source, Thinkstock

The Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Bill seeks to place an existing workforce planning tool onto a statutory footing.

It will also see staff planning methods be used on social care settings, such as care homes.

Health boards are responsible for assessing the needs of their own populations using a set of 12 tools, which have existed since 2004. These are focused on nursing and midwifery.

Should the legislation pass, the tools will become mandatory for health boards and social care providers to use - though it is not yet clear what would happen if they did not meet their duties.

Read more about the bill in the SPICe briefing., external

Image source, bbc

Scottish Green Party parliamentary co-leader Alison Johnstone says the her party supports the aims of the Health and Social Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Bill.

Ms Johnstone highlights the importance of safe staffing levels on patients' health outcomes.

She says the protections introduced in this bill are vital to provide high quality and safe patient care.

The Green MSP praise Jeane Freeman for working hard to achieve consensus.

This bill alone won't help create more health care professionals, she adds, but it is a start.

Labour MSP Monica Lennon welcomes the bill and indeed all attempts to ensure safe staffing.

But she warns the bill is not a panacea, adding the healthcare sector is experiencing a staffing and funding crisis.

Ms Lennon highlights the passage of amendments to the bill to connect it to workforce planning and improve the wellbeing of NHS staff.

Scottish Labour welcome this legislation as a step towards fixing the healthcare crisis which sees staff overworked and under pressure, the Labour health spokesperson concludes.

Image source, Science Photo Library

MSPs unanimously backed the general principle of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Bill on 6 December 2018.

The proposed legislation seeks to place an existing workforce planning tool onto a statutory footing.

It will also see staff planning methods be used on social care settings, such as care homes.

Health boards are responsible for assessing the needs of their own populations using a set of 12 tools, which have existed since 2004. These are focused on nursing and midwifery.

Should the legislation pass, the tools will become mandatory for health boards and social care providers to use - though it is not yet clear what would happen if they did not meet their duties.

Image source, bbc

Miles Briggs says the Scottish Conservatives believe the NHS's most important asset is its people.

Mr Briggs insists it is essential that the voices of health professionals has been heard throughout the progress of this bill.

The Tory MSP says tools will be developed with the care sector in the future.

He concludes saying his party recognise the workforce faces a number of key challenges unless staff shortages are addressed.

Safe staffing levels will remain a dream not a reality until that is achieved, he argues.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman explains the bill will put a system-wide approach to assessing workload in the health service into statute.

The development of the tools has been evidence-based and professionally led by nurses and midwives, she states.

This legislation will extend these core principles across health and social care the health secretary adds.

Ms Freeman says the voice of the professional will be heard and will influence staffing decisions, while promoting engagement and transparency.

There is a great deal more work to come to ensure the tool keeps on top of advances in care, she says.

Image source, Getty Images/Science Photo Library

MSPs will now debate the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Bill , externalfor the final time.

To the last group of amendments.

Labour MSP David Stewart explains the amendments relate to staffing tools which may be used in the care sector in the future.

Mr Stewart points out the social care sector has a range of providers with different staffing management structures.

He says amendment 79 allows for risk management and flexibility for differing care services.

The amendments are agreed, bringing an end to amendments at stage 3.

Image source, SPL

Staff shortages could derail the Scottish government's £100m cancer strategy, a report warned in January.

The blueprint for improving care for the 32,000 Scots diagnosed with cancer every year has made significant progress in areas such as prevention and improving survival.

But there is a lack of clinicians in key areas such as radiology.

This is slowing down the goal of getting more cancers diagnosed and treated quicker.

• Radiologist shortage 'red alert' warning
• Pathology shortage 'delaying diagnosis'
• NHS test waiting times continue to grow
• Read more here

Labour MSP Monica Lennon says her eight amendments in this group seek to add to provisions already in the bill to add the fair work.

She says they seek to go some way to defining what fair work and wellbeing requires.

It is not acceptable that staff have to pay out of their own pocket for items such as uniform, she argues.

Ms Lennon offers to not move her amendments if the cabinet secretary commits to bringing guidance alongside the bill to this effect.

Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton says there is a crisis in social care in Edinburgh and more must be done to recognise fair work in the sector to make it more attractive.

Jeane Freeman welcomes the intention behind the amendments, insisting the government has done what is can within the powers of the parliament to ensure staff receive a fair level of pay.

But for as long as employment law remains reserves, we are restricted in the next steps we can take and Ms Lennon's amendments are outwith the powers of the parliament she warns.

If these amendments were passed the entire piece of legislation make be referred to the courts, the health secretary adds.

Ms Lennon agrees to withdraw the amendments.

Douglas Fraser
Scotland business & economy editor

The NHS turned 70 last year, well past the age of having its own bus pass.

While most others can retire at that age, the National Health Service is still working. Indeed, it's having to work flat out, and it's feeling the strain.

Some of that strain comes from more demands being placed on it. Expectations of what it can achieve are completely different to 1948.

And it has to put up with patients, many of whom do a poor job at looking after themselves. A lot of the strain comes from budgets that keep rising but struggle to keep up with numbers of patients and expectations of what can be done.

Image source, Getty Images

• Aged 70, there are ageing pressures on both demand and supply for NHS staff, and planning for that has been weak.
• Unfilled posts are significant in smaller and rural hospitals and GPs. Changes to doctor training is pushing the NHS towards more centralised services.
• To address the problem, training takes a long time and recruitment is a global challenge

Read more here

Another consensual group agreed to unanimously.